First Minister Alex Salmond and Scottish Football League Chief Executive David Longmuir have launched the Scottish Communities League Cup and draw the first round of fixtures for the 2011-12 competition.
The Cup campaign will use £1 million cash seized from criminals to encourage positive behaviour and stronger communities, promoting respect, responsibility and tolerance to football fans and families throughout Scotland.
It builds on the commitment made at the Football Summit in March and work of the Joint Action Group to expand existing community work and back clubs, authorities, and police in tackling unacceptable behaviour.
Mr Salmond said:
"The partnership between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Football League will promote all that’s good about our national game and put local football clubs back at the heart of Scotland’s communities.
"The SFL and its clubs already carry out invaluable work across the country and we want to build on these partnerships to encourage positive change in attitudes in our local communities.
"Our national game is a powerful means of engagement with young people and an excellent means of highlighting key messages to fans and families throughout Scotland. I am determined to call a halt to the kind of unacceptable behaviour that we have seen blight Scottish football and our communities in recent times.
"Our work with the SFL builds on the £41 million investment that the Scottish Government has committed to Cashback for Communities projects since 2007 with over £12.35 million into football until 2014.
"I am delighted that we can support the Scottish Football League at an important time for the game in Scotland. With the help of other key players such as the Scottish Football Association, Scottish Premier League and all of our clubs, I have no doubt the Scottish Communities League Cup campaign can help us make an immediate impact in breeding Respect, Responsibility and Tolerance now and in the future."
Assisting in the draw for the first round was former Scotland international and twice winner of the League Cup with Celtic and Hibernian, Murdo MacLeod. They were joined by school children for the draw; at Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell.
